Backcountry Stewardship in Eagle Cap Wilderness

Backpacks heavy with tools and gear, a crew of American Hiking Society volunteers set out into Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness to spend a week living and working in the backcountry. The West Fork Wallowa Trail became both their home and their project site, a wild corridor leading to the Lakes Basin where jagged peaks and glacial lakes set the backdrop for every day’s effort.

From the moment they hit the trail, the group leaned into the challenge. They brushed thick overgrowth, sawed through fallen trees, and dug out stubborn drainage—all with the goal of keeping this heavily used route open for hikers heading to Ice Lake, Mirror Lake, and Glacier Lake. “Looking back at the amazing trail work we were able to accomplish each day as a team, having only met days before, was my favorite part,” shared one volunteer.

Life in the backcountry wove the group together quickly. Volunteers cooked and camped side by side, swapped stories beneath the stars, and hiked to hidden corners of the wilderness on their day off. A cold dip in the river after long hours of trail work sealed the experience with both grit and joy.

By week’s end, the group marveled at what they had accomplished—not only the transformed a large stretch of trail, but the camaraderie and trust that made it possible. One crew member summed it up best: “We volunteers and Forest Service staff bonded quickly, enjoyed each other’s company, communicated well and accomplished unimaginable improvements to different segments of the trail each day.”

This Eagle Cap adventure was as much about backpacking through wild landscapes as it was about discovering the strength of community in remote places.

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